Balikbayan Box

Finally got everything together. Sent my first balikbayan box last week.

It takes a lot of planning and hard work to find the perfect gifts for the many (many, many, MANY) friends and relatives I have back home. The first thing on my todo list was to make a list of people in the Philippines who are on my Christmas list. Next was to list gift possibilities beside every name.

The next step was to optimize my budget. While I'd love to give them the world, I don't own the world to give yet. Luckily, this time of the year is great for gift shopping. With D's help (I have to say he has GREAT taste), we finally got something nice for everyone on my list.

I labeled and packed everything in an obscenely huge box, spritzed a little of my perfume (I hope the moisture wouldn't make the stuff in there moldy) and wrote the shipping labels. Then it was time to seal the box. Oh, boy it was hard. Try sealing a box twice your shoulder width and weighs as much as you. With packaging tape that wants to stay on its roll or stick to any place other than where you intend it to.

With the help of the wall and two dining chairs and a heavy book, the box was finally sealed! Very securely. I did it the way my Uncle used to do it: basically make the box a mummy using packaging tape. A couple of days later, the guys from the cargo company came and the my giant gift box is on its way to make friends and family back home happy.